8

Technology and
Livelihood Education
Information & Communications
Technology (ICT)
Computer Systems Servicing

Quarter 4 – SLHT
Week 1-2
 SELF-LEARNING HOME TASK (SLHT)

Subject: Computer Systems Servicing Grade Level: 9 Quarter:4 Week:1-2

MELC: plan and prepare for diagnosis of computer systems errors

Competency Code:TLE_ICTCS9DT-IIIa-g-1

Name: __________________________ Section: ________ Date ________

School: San Remigio National High School District: San Remigio 1

A. Readings/Discussions

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Personal Protective Equipment

Proper preparation is the key to a successful work. Before

you begin, make sure that you have the tools you will need, and
secure a clear well-lit workplace. Gather all the components
you’ll be using and unpack them at the same time. Always keep
in mind that personal protection is one of the traits of a good
computer technician.

Types of personal protective devices

1. Anti-static devices
2. Power surge protectors
3. Personal equipment

Anti-static devices
Devices designed to protect the computer from static electricity.
Anti – static wrist strap

Anti- static

Anti- static bag Anti- static bag

Power surge protectors

Devices designed to protect the computer from sudden power

surges from intermittent power sources.
Examples:
1. AVR (Automatic Voltage Regulators)

2. UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply)

Personal Equipment

Small paint brush

Screw drivers

Pliers and tweezers

Compressed air

Handheld vacuum

TYPES OF COMPUTER SYSTEM ERROR

There are several errors in a computer from the point you open
it up to the point you reach the stand by window (reaching
standby windows means boot process has no error). Here's a
list of computer error.

1. No Video Output - When you open your PC, nothing shows

up in your monitor and the LED indicator of your monitor is
flashing in yellow color.

2. No Video Output - Same as number one but now the LED

indicator of your monitor is in steady orange color.

3. Doesn't Boot - When you open your PC it will show the

processor brand and/or the motherboard brand but doesn't
continue. Usually this error will result to system restart over and
over again.
4. Never Ending Loading of Operating system - The computer
opens up then boots but when the operating system loads it
doesn't continue and it will take a lifetime if you're going to wait
for it to load.

5 Lots of pop-up windows showing on standby mode - This also

happens even if you try disconnecting your computer set from
the internet. This is what we called aftershock virus which will
continue to run even if internet is disconnected.
6. Lots of hardware installation windows appear - This happens
even if you try installing the hardware. When you restart your
set it will happen again.
7. Safe mode doesn't work - When you try going to safe mode
all you will see is a list of files in Command prompt style.

8. Keyboard and mouse system restart - This will happen only

in standby mode, when you move your mouse or type
something, your system will automatically restart and the worst
part is it will delete a file at random.

9. Sound on/off error - Upon loading the operating system, you

will hear a loading sound and then the sound stops, when you
try running an audio file, no sound will be heard.

10. Application causes system to restart - Just like the mouse

problem, when you open a program that will take the whole
screen like for example a game and/or a program applications,
when you close it, it will cause your system to restart.

Aside from the common computer errors, computers also can

have different Operating System (OS) errors. OS errors can be
classified into various categories, such as:

1. System errors – These are moderately dangerous types

of errors among those that can pop up on your PC.
System errors are caused by malfunctioning hardware
components, corrupted operating system modules, etc.

2. Runtime errors – Runtime errors are caused by corrupted

or malfunctioning system files or software executables.
Most runtime errors cause the application that caused it to
shut down. However, more serious runtime errors may
 cause the system to become unstable or unresponsive,
leaving you with no choice but to reach for the Reset
button.

3. Stop errors – Stop errors are caused by corrupted

hardware, especially malfunctioning RAM modules and
bad sectors on hard disks. Stop errors can be difficult to
resolve at times.

4. Device Manager Errors – These are usually caused by

corrupted driver files or malfunctioning hardware
components. In case of the former cause, the problem is
usually solved simply by reinstalling or updating the
drivers. However, the latter cause can often be solved
only by replacing hardware components.

5. POST code errors – POST code errors are caused by

malfunctioning hardware components, and are
characterized by short beep sounds from the tiny internal
speaker of your motherboard. POST code errors occur
when you press the power button to turn on your PC.

6. Application errors – These can be caused at any point of

time. As the name suggests, these are caused by
applications while those are running. These are usually
caused by glitches in the program code itself. These are
usually resolved by updating the program to its latest
version.

7. Browser Status Codes – These are caused by problems

faced by browsers when trying to access a website. These
can be caused by misplaced web pages in the server of
the website itself, or due to connection problems. For
instance, a 404 error would indicate that the browser is
trying to access a webpage that does not exist in the
specified location.

DIAGNOSING COMPUTER SYSTEMS

PC Diagnosing

Probably the most frustrating problem computer users run into

are startup problems, where your computer won’t boot. Equally
annoying are error messages you constantly run into during
your computer’s startup process. In this module you will be
given a few tips on how you can avoid some of the most
common problems that happen right after your computer is
turned on.

Here you will learn the basic troubleshooting.

▪ Trial and error: When you find a faulty component in your

computer, check it with the other computers so that you can
make sure whether the fault is in the component or not.
▪ Check cables: In case of any device failure, check all the
cables of your computer such as data cables, power cable,
internal circuitry cables and make sure that all these are
plugged in and working fine.
▪ Hardware settings: Check the hardware settings in the
CMOS and in the device manager of the system and make all
the device drivers up to date and all the cards are plugged in
properly.
▪ Notice changes: When you notice a software or hardware
error in your computer, determine what was changed before the
problem occurred.
▪ Event viewer: In the event viewer, you will find the error or
warning messages associated with any faulty hardware or
software.
▪ Make notes: Troubleshooting is a big learning option and
we can learn a lot when we face any kind of troubleshooting in
our computer. Make notes including the error messages and
their solutions, so that you have a record on how a certain
problem occurred and how did you solve it.

Common PC Problems and solutions

You are working away at your computer when suddenly, up

comes an error message – or worse, your computer comes to a
screeching halt. Here are the common computer problems and
solutions that can help you. 154

Steps

1. Check the POST. POST stands for Power On Self-Test.

This is generally the first or second thing that appears on
a computer after turning on the power. This appears
before the operating system begins to load. The POST will
display any problems found with hardware that makes the
computer unable to boot, POST may also display
problems with hardware that allow the computer to boot,
but not operate at its full capacity during operation.
2. Notice the load time of the OS (operating system). A
longer than usual load time may indicate errors in the hard
drive.

3. Notice any graphics problems once the OS has

loaded. Reduced graphics may indicate driver failures or
hardware failures with graphic cards.

4. Perform an auditory test. An auditory test is an

unorthodox, but still effective way of judging how a
computer is working. With the computer on and running,
play any decent length audio file (usually above 30 sec). If
the audio is choppy or slow, it usually means that the
processor is working at an elevated level, or there is not
enough RAM to run all programs loading. Changing the
startup sound is a great way to apply this test. Another
issue associated with choppy sounds is PIO (Programmed
Input/Output) Mode. This affects how the hard drive reads
and writes data from a drive. Switching to Direct Memory
Access (DMA) allows for faster reads and writes, and can
sometimes repair choppy audio.

5. Check any newly installed hardware. Many operating

systems, especially Windows, can conflict with new
drivers. The driver may be badly written, or it may conflict
with another process. Windows will usually notify you
about devices that are causing a problem, or have a
problem. To check this use the Device Manager, this can
be accessed by entering the Control Panel, clicking the
System icon, clicking the Hardware tab, and clicking on
Device Manager. Use this to check and arrange the
properties of hardware.

6. Check any newly installed software. Software may

require more resources than the system can provide.
Chances are that if a problem begins after software starts,
the software is causing it. If the problem appears directly
upon startup, it may be caused by software that starts
automatically on boot.

7. Check RAM and CPU consumption. A common problem

is a choppy or sluggish system. If a system is choppy it is
good practice to see if a program is consuming more
resources than the computer can provide. An easy way to
check this is to use the Task Manager, right click on the
 taskbar select Task Manager, and click the Processes tab.
The CPU column contains a number that indicates the
percentage of CPU the process is consuming. The
Memory Usage column indicates how much memory a
process is consuming.

8. Listen to the computer, if the hard drive is scratching

or making loud noises, shut off the computer and
have a professional diagnose the hard drive. Listen to
the CPU fan, this comes on a high speed when the CPU is
working hard, and can tell you when the computer is
working beyond its capacity.

9. Run a virus and malware scan. Performance problems

can be caused by malware on the computer. Running a
virus scan can unearth any problems. Use a commonly
updated virus scanner (such as Norton Antivirus or Avast!
Antivirus)

10. Check for the problem in safe mode. To enter safe

mode, tap F8 repeatedly during POST (this works on most
systems). If the problem persists in safe mode, it is a fair
bet that the operating system itself is to blame.
Common Trouble shooting for Computer Units

1. Double check the power connections.

2. Voltage Regulator and power supply
could
cause power failure in the computer unit.
3. Check the power cords and cable
connectors
in your computer unit.
4. Unseated card. Loose cards could cause
malfunction.
5. Check the boot sequence configuration in the advance BIOS
(Basic Input /Output Unit) setup.

Diagnosing Network Connection

Things to look for if a PC is connected to the internet or

network:
First check the cable connecting to the
network card into the network
hub.
Check the back of the
computer to see if
the network card light is on
Check the network cable ( use
cable
tester)
Check the network HUB
(use multi-tester)

B. Exercises

Exercise 1: Develop a Sample Diagnostic Plan

Directions: List down all possible components to be checked
based on the symptoms.

Symptoms: Dead Computer Good Defective Remedy

Monitor

AC outlet

AVR

AVR fuse

Monitor Power

Cable

Monitor Switch

Power Supply

Exercise 2:

Directions: Answer the following questions on your paper.

1. For somebody who always works (do troubleshooting) with
computers, what personal protective devices do you usually
use? How often do you use them?
 2. Computers should be protected from static electricity to
prevent component malfunction. What anti-static devices can
you utilize to avoid such malfunction? Why?

C. Assessment/Application/Outputs (Please refer to DepEd Order No.

31, s. 2020)

Directions: Identify the following items and write your answer on your
paper.

1. Moderately dangerous types of errors among those that can pop up

on your PC.
2. Caused by malfunctioning hardware components, and are
characterized by short beep sounds from the tiny internal speaker of
your motherboard.
3. Caused at any point of time. As the name suggests, these are caused
by applications while those are running.
4. Usually caused by corrupted driver files or malfunctioning hardware
components.
5. Caused by corrupted or malfunctioning system files or software
executables.
6. Caused by corrupted hardware, especially malfunctioning RAM
modules and bad sectors on hard disks.
7. Caused by problems faced by browsers when trying to access a
website.

D. Suggested Enrichment/Reinforcement Activity/ies : Describe the

personal protective devices. What they are and how they are used?
Write your answer on your paper.

status codes 6. Stop errors 4. Device manager errors 2. Post code errors
7. Browser 5. Runtime errors 3. Application errors 1. System errors
Answer key

*Disclaimer: Copyright infringement not intended. The writers invoke their right to Fair Use
under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976 where a copyrighted work may be utilized for
criticism, comment, news, reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use),
scholarship, or research granting that it is non-profit and educational in nature and purpose.

References: K to 12 Technology and Livelihood Education – Information Computer

Technology Learners Material p.145-157

Prepared by: Edited by:

KATHLEEN JOY D. PELAYO ALLAN C. CAÑETE

Teacher Master Teacher - TLE

Reviewed by:

REJIE D. GONZAGA
Secondary School Principal II